Kaleena Rey

Kaleena Asharya Rey
Biographical Information
Race	Zeltron
Homeworld	Zeltros
Mother	Indira Rey (nee. Avaron) [deceased]
Father	Takeo Rey
Spouse	None
Siblings	Deveran Rey, Ravan Rey, Hiro Rey [deceased]
Children	None
Born	Year -14, Day 313 (age 33)
Quote	“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” ― Rumi
Physical Description
Gender	Female
Height	5’7”
Coloring	Rose-hued
Hair Color	Midnight blue
Eye Color	Deep crimson
Political Information
Affiliation	Zhellic Ecclesiarchy
Title	Her Holiness
Rank	Vicar
Positions	Vicariate of Zela
Prior Affiliation	Galactic Empire, Alliance Special Operations, Red Moon Horizon

Kaleena Asharya Rey was born on Zeltros, the only daughter of Indira Avaron and Takeo Rey, and the younger sibling of Deveran, Ravan and Hiro. She left Zeltros at age 28 in search of new, exciting experiences, travelling to Coruscant to enroll in the Imperial Academy after a convincing conversation with a retired Imperial recruitment officer. Upon her graduation from the Academy on Year 14, Day 342, she was assigned a position within the Regional Government and began a career in the Galactic Empire until Year 15 Day 117 when she gracefully retired to pursue other opportunities. During her tenure as a member of the Regional Government of the Galactic Empire, Kaleena assumed her birthright and ascended to the position of Vicar of the goddess Zela in the Zhellic Ecclesiarchy under the name Astara III, however, unable to find a suitable balance between her service to the Empire and her service to Zela, she would eventually leave both positions to travel the Galaxy, craving less structure and more freedom to pursue other opportunities.

After a few dark years chasing shadows and fleeing her demons as a trained mercenary, the wayward Zeltron hit rock bottom–finding herself lost and without purpose. Despite having the support of a few close friends, she found herself becoming increasingly frustrated with who she was being trained to be and who she was at her core. She was a creature of feeling, driven by passion, supported by some powerful Force, some wild thing that could not be contained. Something was urging her not to allow herself to be. It was when confronted by a particularly ugly death and processing the aftermath that the Goddess called her back to Her altar and Kaleena regained some of her former radiance as something deep within her answered the call. She felt moved to return to Her temple and in her homecoming and rededication process, Kaleena started to reclaim pieces of herself she had thought lost.

On Year 20, Day 21, Kaleena officially returned to her position within the Zhellic Ecclesiarchy. She currently serves at Zela’s altar.

Personal History

The Rey Family

The Rey family is a well-established Zeltron family with a centuries-old history of being great patrons of the arts. The family owns several art galleries and small theatres, and continually funds the Fine Arts department at Zeltros University. The focus of their work through the centuries has been to preserve historical artefacts, promote Zeltron artistic endeavours and encourage the creativity of future generations of artists. Only within the last few generations have the Reys started to expand into the business world with family members becoming successful entrepreneurs and traders. It is currently led by Lady Prema Rey.

Early Childhood

Kaleena was raised under the careful eye of her paternal grandmother, Lady Prema Rey, matriarch of the family. She was the first girl child born out of five children and seven grandchildren and as such earned special treatment from the Lady of the family. Lady Prema was very present throughout Kaleena’s childhood and her insistence in being involved in the girl’s upbringing caused a rift between her and Kaleena’s mother. This strained relationship had a negative effect on the relationship between mother and daughter and by the time Kaleena was flowering into womanhood, she was hardly close with her mother, Indira.

The youngest Rey received a private education from birth from carefully selected, accomplished tutors with a special focus on Zeltron history and art. She was encouraged to find interests in artistic disciplines, her tutors helping her hone her intuition and tap deeply into her own innate creativity and passion to fuel her work. As such, she is a skilled dancer and painter.

A Path Predetermined

Gallery Director Kaleena Rey, Zeltros.

Despite the encouragement of her closest friends, Kaleena was advised by her immediate family not to pursue a career in dance or painting. The lack of support was puzzling and somewhat disheartening. She would remember the slight and it would create a small crack within the foundations of family. Instead, she was charged by her grandmother to take up the role of Director of one of the family’s art galleries. Although she had just turned twenty at the time, Lady Rey believed her granddaughter would grow into her role. She already had a keen eye for exquisite art and she had a personality that could draw crowds. Kaleena was initially opposed to the idea of taking on such a role, wanting indeed to focus on her passion for painting, but Lady Prema reminded her of her duties as a Rey and their responsibility of showcasing the beauty and incredible talent of Zeltron artists and sculptors, past and present. ‘Passion fuels passion,’ Lady Rey used to always say. ‘Inspire and invigorate the next generations with the passions of the past. Remind them who we are as a people.’ She could have easily pointed to the examples of her older brothers who had chosen careers in engineering, finance, linguistics and even the military, but Kaleena felt she could not refuse the wishes of the matriarch of her family. And so Kaleena spent her early twenties managing the gallery. She was very successful at organizing charitable events and new expositions, events at her gallery becoming very popular soirees for some of Zeltros’ most influential. She was constantly surrounded by beauty and luxury, love and lust, and she discovered it was quite intoxicating. She allowed herself to surrender to the pleasures this sort of life had to offer and those years were arguably some of the most pleasurable. Lady Prema seemed to be quite content with how her granddaughter had taken to her role within Zeltron society but Kaleena suspected the older woman had more in store for her and was simply not sharing.

Living in opulence may be more than enough for most Zeltrons but after a few years managing the collection at the gallery and living the high life, Kaleena started to long for more from her life. Deep down, she refused to believe this was who she was destined to be and she held on to the hope that her grandmother would soon share with her some greater plan. As he years wore on, her patience began to wane and she slowly and inwardly disconnected from that life, craving something different though she couldn't quite say what that was.

Something Different

Kaleena at her favourite nightclub on Zeltros.

It was a chance encounter with a retired Imperial recruitment officer frequenting a nightclub she often visited that set her on a strange new path. He was not the typical bumbling fool of an offworlder offering to buy her a drink. ”You look like you need a change of pace,” he told her with a well-meaning smile. “The eyes don’t lie,” he continued with a light tap to his right temple. Kaleena studied the man, one of the only offworlders in the club not indulging and exhibiting some wild behaviour. She figured he had been around the block a few times and was no stranger to the Zeltron lifestyle. This middle-aged man with a few silver streaks in his hair seemed to be quite grounded and so she engaged in the conversation and was pleasantly surprised. What followed was a very intelligent and often times philosophical conversation about beauty, pleasure and the meaning of life. He explained he was a retired recruitment officer for the Galactic Empire and when prompted by a now curious Kaleena, was permitted to rant and rave about the organization he so loved. The Zeltron figured he was slipping into his recruitment spiel but was interested nonetheless. He had a few tricks up his sleeve. “You Zeltrons are ever fuelled by a pursuit of happiness through beauty and pleasure, but you do not quite realize the true beauty of life. The true beauty lies in the full spectrum of experiences. How can you say you have ever really lived if all you have experienced is one way of life? Why not experience more? Why not find beauty in new experiences? The Galactic Empire could offer you all that and so much more.”

Kaleena did not need much convincing for she was already feeling like one foot was out the door. She was fairly ignorant on the topic of galactic politics and wasn't quite certain that the Galactic Empire was where she would end up, but the Imperial’s words had resonated with her and she suspected the Empire might be a good place to start. Sharing her feelings with only the closest of her friends was not easy, and there was much protest, but in the end, there was little they could do to change her already made up mind.

Within a week or so of meeting the Imperial, Kaleena Rey made arrangements for a cousin to take up her post at the gallery, swearing the man to secrecy, and used a fake passport to slip onto a transport leaving Zeltros, making for the stars. She knew Lady Prema would be heartbroken and would have tried to convince her to stay, so she made sure her exit was in secret. She figured the family would eventually find out about Kaleena’s departure but she naively believed they would simply leave her be. She could not be important enough to chase across the Galaxy.

The Galactic Empire

On Year 14, Day 336, Kaleena Rey was accepted into the Galactic Empire and proceeded to continue her journey to Coruscant where she enrolled in the Imperial Academy as a new recruit. Completely out of her element, she embraced her new life with some trepidation, but ultimately, a hope that she would experience a new way of life and become part of something much greater.

Metamorphosis

While visiting a Corellian tavern during some time off, the Zeltron happened upon the tavern owner, Quarto Kade, in the midst of a terrifying transformation. Fighting the instinct to run, she felt for the man who was clearly in a lot of pain and distress. Having met him only a few days prior when she first visited the tavern, she could not bring herself to abandon him in his time of need. Kaleena stayed with him until his ordeal had run its course and was shocked to learn he had contracted some sort of virus that forced a painful physical transformation. Kaleena quickly became fearful for her own safety and left the tavern shaken and unsure if she should report the incident. As a new member of the Empire, she was taught who to contact in times of need but she was fearful of what might happen to her if she revealed she may have contracted a virus. The Zeltron feared being processed and overwhelmed by the system. In that moment, she chose to keep the information to herself.

Kaleena did not sleep that night, fearing she had been exposed to the virus, however when she did not change overnight, she decided to visit the tavern the following day to inquire about the well-being of the tavern owner, secretly hoping he would have more information for her. Quarto seemed alive and well in a new physical form and he flipped her a datapad with information on what was known as the Metamorphosis Plague or the Derra Virus. He also indicated she had very little chance of contracting the virus herself and while she was initially relieved, she was unconvinced. Though she had made a friend in those strange few days, the Zeltron returned to her station feeling paranoid and alone. She tried her best to remain distant from those around her and effectively barricaded herself in her apartment when off-duty until a fellow Imperial, Draelor Nah`utal came calling, inquiring about her well-being. After much coaxing, Kaleena admitted her fears to the man who proceeded to take her to a doctor aboard his own ship and treat her without reporting the situation to her superiors. Despite her reservations on the system itself, the Zeltron had come to trust this fellow servant of the Empire and left her fate in his hands. Lucky for her, she returned to her post a few days later, free of any infection, and resumed her responsibilities. Though the Metamorphosis Plague had not affected her physically, she could not help but feel changed by the experience on some level.

Unsettled

Kaleena Rey, Year 15 MInd Ball

As Kaleena settled into her new job working for the Regional Government of the Galactic Empire and learned all the particularities about her new responsibilities, she often visited the tavern for some rest, relaxation, and small talk with Mr. Kade who became a good friend. Their conversations were a welcome distraction from the heavy reading, complex processes and overall formality of Imperial life. Her experiences up to that point weren't quite what she expected and the initial excitement of joining such a vast organization was wearing off. Despite her usual social tendencies, she felt guarded around other Imperials and was reluctant to communicate with anyone beyond her superiors. Even off-duty, the Zeltron had a hard time adjusting to life within the Empire, never feeling entirely welcomed in the community of Imperial citizens. She was reminded of the feelings she picked up on at the Academy and the more she went out into the world, the more she picked up on darker, more confusing emotions. Some people were attracted to her based on her Zeltron physiology but Kaleena could not help but feel apart and...judged, by the humans around her. They may have tried to hide their emotions but Kaleena was in tune to the emotional landscape around her and was very much aware of their pity, disgust, lust and envy. Their emotions washed over her like a tidal wave and shook her at her core.

Feelings of alienation hit an all time low one day on her way to work when she was stopped by a pair of human males on the street. At first, they attempted to flatter her for her beauty and grace, but their honeyed words quickly turned to poison as their advances were not reciprocated. Kaleena was roughed up a bit amid pro-human statements, derogatory comments and anti-alien insults before a sympathetic taxi driver came to her rescue and transported her to the government building. Again, the Zeltron chose not to report the incident, choosing to remain as little and anonymous within the organization as possible. She did not want to call any attention to herself as she tried to process what she had experienced and the reasoning behind the sentiments of those Imperial citizens, sentiments that she felt were not just felt by the two unsavoury characters she had encountered.

When she visited with her tavern friend and revealed a little of the incident to him, he was surprised and sympathetic to her distress. Quarto tried to convince her that not everyone felt the way some people do and insisted her life held as much value as any other. Picking up on strange emotions at the local cantina, Kaleena felt unsettled and was quick to leave, but she was followed out by a man who had been watching her exchange with her friend. The man attempted to abduct her with the help of another bounty hunter accomplice but Quarto, who was actually a mercenary by trade, had somehow realized the Zeltron was in danger and was quick to rescue her. A fire fight broke out in the streets and the two sprinted through the busy shopping district in an attempt to lose their pursuers. One was killed in action but the other managed to survive. Kaleena’s friend immediately took her off planet in his freighter and tended to her shock.

Family Matters

After learning that some bounty hunters were hired to escort her to their employer, Kaleena became fearful for her well-being but decided she had to at least try to trust the system to protect her. Despite her friend’s offer to take her away to safety, Kaleena felt she could not simply abandon her responsibilities to the Empire because she had made a commitment to serve and hoped that the organization she was serving would protect her in turn. She remained close to her job, avoided public places and continued to build relationships with certain Imperials, but ultimately waited to see if there would be any follow up to the attempted abduction.

As the tension within her continued to build, the Zeltron decided to take matters into her own hands and returned to her friend’s tavern for a visit, knowing she was risking her life visiting another public establishment but feeling confident in the man’s ability to protect her. Kaleena was quite surprised and delighted to be visited by her older brother Hiro, however she became quickly suspicious as she realized there was no way he could have known where she was in the Galaxy after leaving Zeltros unless he hired professionals. Figuring out he was responsible for the attempted abduction, Kaleena was furious with her brother who remained calm and collected while she seethed. The older Rey revealed that their family, Lady Prema in particular, had been looking for her ever since she left Zeltros but Kaleena was unimpressed with her brother’s means to locate her, confused as to why he took such extreme measures to find her. Quarto Kade quickly came to the Zeltron’s defense and the situation nearly took a violent turn between himself, Hiro, and Hiro’s bodyguard before an Imperial officer intervened and escorted Kaleena back to her apartment, diffusing the situation. Hiro left with a promise to contact her again. His business was left unfinished. She would not get away so easily.

Darkness Descends

A few weeks passed without incident. Hiro Rey had revealed himself to be the one responsible for hiring hunters to locate her but now that she had been located, Kaleena figured he had no other reason to aggravate her further. The older Rey attempted to contact her once again, through a polite, encrypted message, but the youngest Rey ignored it and carried on with her work. The Regional Government staff member had new responsibilities and more learning to bring her up to speed so she had very little time nor any desire to deal with the man. The experience had left a bitter taste in her mouth and she refused to see him.

Apparently, he would not go away quietly and for reasons unclear to Kaleena, Hiro attempted to force his way into her new life, intercepting Kaleena and her Imperial companion one day as they were leaving the government complex where they both worked. He had icy, condescending words for his younger sister, but the brunt of his aggression was directed at the Imperial, who did not take the Zeltron man’s threats lightly. When Hiro foolishly ordered his hired help to descend upon the man, both he and Kaleena were petrified as the Imperial executed a swift, precise retaliation, felling his attackers with an awesome, terrifying power that seemed to crackle about him. He wielded a vibrant blade that cut down the henchmen with ease and when he coldly turned to face the antagonist, he was met with a body-shaking fear thinly disguised behind defiance. To Kaleena’s dismay, her brother would not back down, an arrogance and pride getting the better of him. Hiro Rey continued to antagonize the apparent Sith and was promptly tossed aside by an invisible force, his body broken. The Sith would likely have cut the man’s life short if Kaleena had not stepped in and begged for Hiro’s life to be spared. As furious as she was with the man, he was still of her blood and on some level, it pained her to see him shattered so. On some level, she thought perhaps he could be reasoned with. Perhaps there was still some light. Hiro’s life was spared and a contingent of stormtroopers arrived to attend to his medical needs. Once the man was well on his way to recovery, he would be escorted away. Far away.

In the aftermath, Kaleena was left with the revelation the man she was starting to fall for was far more powerful than she had ever imagined. While she had been aware that he had particular abilities, and had a very basic understanding of the Force, she never had the guts to speak to him about it and continued living in a self-imposed state of ignorance. It was easier that way. While the Zeltron woman was aware that there was darkness in the Galaxy, she was not quite ready to accept that it had creeped into her own life. She did not know what to make of it, nor her growing attraction to the Force User. Kaleena decided to carry on...business as usual. It was all too much to process, really. Processing negative emotions had never really been an issue on Zeltros but it had become an alarming constant in the new life she had chosen. It was far better to pretend otherwise and so she clung to what little joy she had left.

The Vicar of Zela

Astara III, the Vicar of Zela

One day while visiting Corellia, the Zeltron received a delivery at her temporary residence from an anonymous sender who left her a signet ring and a note with the coordinates of a luxury hotel by the starports. Curious by the formal address of the delivery man, Kaleena felt compelled to inquire about the ring’s significance and its sender, and hopped in a taxi speeder to take her to the coordinates. While conscious of the potential danger, the Zeltron could not help but feel a sense of familiarity and proceeded to the hotel where she was directed to a suite.

Kaleena timidly entered the room to find a younger man waiting for her. He knew exactly who she was and was quick to address her confusion. He revealed that he had been in contact with her family to locate her and reveal to her their legacy and her destiny. The Zeltron was stunned by the man’s words and confused by the situation, remembering Hiro and his foolish attempts to find her, until the young man reminded her that she was a descendant of the ancient vicars of Zela of the Thirteen, Zela the Goddess of Passion, Lust and Love, tasked with bringing love, culture and emotion to the Chosen, Patroness of the Arts and of the people who would become the Zeltron. Of course Kaleena knew of whom he spoke as she grew up with stories of the Thirteen, recalling bedtime stories curled up in her grandmother’s lap and the art and history lessons so beloved by her tutors. She remembered all that she learned about her ancestors, and all of the small rituals and gestures she grew up performing without realizing why they were being performed. Suddenly, everything she had ever known of her life on Zeltros seemed to make sense, as did her family’s desperate attempts to locate her. They, along with this mystery man, wanted Kaleena to assume her rightful place in the Galaxy as Zela’s representative. Kaleena was Zela’s Chosen and she had the responsibility of sharing the Goddess’ love, creativity and passion with Her followers.

This revelation came as a shock to the Zeltron but rather than embrace her destiny, Kaleena was confused and resisted. She had chosen a different path for her life and while she knew Zela always had a very real presence in her life, Kaleena did not believe she was well-suited to assume the responsibilities of a Vicar of the Radiant One. It felt far too grand and important for the Zeltron who had chosen to embrace a simpler, more structured life in the Galactic Empire. She left the man, Weylin vi Cron, who was the Grand Vicar and Ziysan the Great King’s representative, but knew in her heart the conversation was far from finished.

It was only when Nella Brynh arrived, a fellow Zeltron sent by Lady Prema Rey to serve as her granddaughter’s bodyguard, that Kaleena started to entertain the idea of the Vicariate. The other Zeltron had a particularly frosty temperament, but where the Vicariate was concerned, she was only ever encouraging, passionate even. Listening to the younger woman’s views on Zeltros, the Goddess Zela with whom she was quite familiar, the Rey Family and her perspective on life in general seemed to resonate with Kaleena on some level and she accepted the woman’s service. It was encouraging to have people believe in her. During this time she chose not to re-establish a connection with her family, but she was aware that Nella kept in constant contact with the matriarch of the house. When the day came that the Grand Vicar called his High Synod together to formally reveal the rebirth of the Zhellic Ecclesiarchy to the Galaxy, Kaleena requested a temporary leave of absence from her Imperial duties and travelled to the Ecclesiarchy’s headquarters, thus answering the call as Astara, the third of her name. If this was her birthright and others truly believed she was suited for the role, Kaleena felt she had to try.

Upon returning to her Imperial post, she wrote to the Empire’s Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), not quite convinced she had to give up her responsibilities, but wanting to ensure she was still clear to resume her work given her association with the Ecclesiarchy. The Zeltron woman had decided she enjoyed her position within the Regional Government and, if the Empire let her, she wanted to continue her work while also serving in Zela’s cult. She had also become quite fond of a certain Imperial officer and was not prepared to be parted from him, though their relationship was kept very private.

Lucky for Kaleena, ISB had cleared her for duty and so she resumed her work, the Galactic Empire also becoming her mission within the Ecclesiarchy. Perhaps she could remind its citizens of the love of the Thirteen and welcome them into the congregation of the Thirteen. Perhaps she could bring the warmth, love and passion of her Goddess into the lives of her peers. It felt like a daunting task but Kaleena acknowledged she was up for the challenge.

Sudden Loss

The first few weeks juggling responsibilities were understandably overwhelming and Kaleena found herself frequenting Quarto’s tavern whenever she could manage it. It started to feel like a safe haven away from home, a place where she could detach herself from the chaos of her Imperial duties and the mounting anxiety she felt regarding her religious responsibilities. In the small, quiet bar, she could relax with a friend and talk about anything other than those two aspects of her life. Unfortunately, the closer she got to the tavern owner, the more tense their relationship became as she sensed he had begun to develop feelings for her, feelings she sadly, could not reciprocate.

The energy between the two collided one day, frustration getting the better of Quarto, and Kaleena left his office feeling quite shaken when he lashed out with his emotions. While she could understand how he felt, she couldn't help but feel uncertain about the future of their friendship. She wanted to somehow mend the friendship as he had become her first real friend outside of Zeltros, however she did not want to hurt him either. When Quarto suffered some delayed effects of his exposure to the Derra virus and transformed into a large Togorian, he began to spend more time with her guard companion Nella. Kaleena maintained her distance, wanting to support him, secretly hoping that the shift in focus away from her might end up working in favour of healing their friendship. Only time would tell. Unfortunately, time was not on their side.

One day, Kaleena received some odd transaction notifications on her datapad from Quarto. She could not understand why he was giving her all of his possessions and was about to head out and track him down when she received another message. The Zeltron woman was horrified to open what appeared to be a still image of a video feed...the torso of a fur-covered sentient lying in a pool of blood. The image was shocking enough, but what was curious about it was the hand that was deliberately visible in the corner of the screen, a hand with a ring...a ring with an insignia. As Kaleena’s confused mind started to make connections, she collapsed in anguish as she realized what she was looking at. Quarto Kade appeared to be dead and his murderer was sending her a direct message. Kaleena had suffered this massive betrayal at the hands of her brother, Hiro. Overcome with grief, she eventually revealed this latest news to the Sith that had humbled the older Rey and with Kaleena’s blessing, initiated an under-the-radar search for the murderer.

Blood on Her Hands

Living in the aftermath of the murder of her friend Quarto was wearisome, Kaleena drifting through life and her responsibilities with detachment. While she waited for news of the secret investigation into the whereabouts of Hiro Rey, Kaleena frequently travelled between her post deep within Imperial territory to the seat of the Ecclesiarchy where she was expected to help rebuild Zela’s cult. She conducted her duties quite diligently as they gave her focus, but there was no heart in her actions. Her heart had broken and there was an emptiness in her chest that she attempted to fill with feeling...feelings of danger, excitement, lust….the rush of adrenaline. Now and then, she thought about taking risks, putting herself in more dangerous situations, willingly coming into contact with more questionable folk. She did hold back, part of her still quite loyal to the Empire because she had made a commitment to, but even still, she treaded the line quite knowingly. Even her relationship with the Imperial officer was suffering as she did not feel as invested in maintaining a connection. How could she with but an empty hole in her chest?

When the semi-conscious body of her battered brother was finally dragged before her feet, Kaleena felt compelled to try to reason with him...or at least understand why she felt so much hate pouring off the man she had always looked up to in her youth. He had no answer for her. He felt no remorse. There was pain and torment in his eyes but he had built up a very solid wall of negativity around himself. There seemed to be no love left for his baby sister. Knowing she would never understand his motivations nor would she ever be able to repair the bond between them, knowing Quarto Kade deserved to have his murder avenged, Kaleena played judge and jury. The Sith Lord had placed her brother’s life in her hands. She forced herself to watch as she gave the signal and the Sith extinguished the light in Hiro’s eyes. Quarto could now rest in peace but for Kaleena...peace would become quite elusive.

Reality Check

Her emotions getting the best of her, Quarto's death and Hiro's execution weighed heavily on Kaleena and she began to withdraw from others. Instead of leaning on those closest to her for support, the Zeltron woman attempted to contain her grief and her pain as best she could and focused all of her attention on her tasks within the Regional Government and the Zhellic Ecclesiarchy, heart or no heart. Projects taking her deep into the field helped to isolate her and shield her from the concerns of her peers. However, being the naturally emotional and social creature that she was, she was unable to remain completely alone. It simply wasn't in her genetic make up.

It was during this time that she began to visit Hellion's Tavern much more frequently, becoming acquainted with some of its regular patrons and strengthening friendships with others, enemies of the Empire or not. It wasn't that she was purposely going out of her way to seek out Imperial enemies and make friends, but more that she didn't care for people's affiliations as long as they were good people. She liked to think she had a good sense of folk, though there have been times when her instincts were way off. Despite some mishaps, she was beginning to trust them just a little more and she found a good person in a Kaleesh named Seth Haze.

Cool, collected and quite cheeky at times, the then Vice President of the Dark Star Hellions became a rather amusing drinking buddy and a fascinating conversationalist. While the local brew of whiskey was quite good, it was Seth's personal philosophy and perspective on the Galaxy that kept Kaleena returning for in-depth conversations that challenged her own thinking and made her question what she was doing in life and where she ultimately wanted to go.

Disillusioned with her current situation, she embraced this friendship and allowed it to flourish while allowing other relationships to wither away. For Seth's part, the Kaleesh eventually took the frustrated Zeltron under his wing and over time, guided her to regain her strength and trust in her own instincts. During her downtime from her Imperial duties and in between assignments within the Zhellic Ecclesiarchy, Kaleena traveled out to meet up with him, Seth helping her build upon the little combat training she received at the Imperial Academy. Working with her inherent grace as a former dancer and utilizing her precision as a painter, the Kaleesh taught the Zeltron how to defend herself and empowered her to regain control of her life. A particularly haunting hunting expedition ripped a blindfold from her eyes and she was exposed for the very first time, to some of the horrors in the Galaxy where predators preyed upon—no, tortured—their innocent prey. The experience was shocking and infuriating—traumatic even. What little naïveté she had left was utterly destroyed. But somewhere deep inside her, a fire seemed to roar to life, awakening her senses, consuming fear and pain and transforming it into something else. That expedition shifted her own perspectives and pushed her towards a new path, a different path. It hardened her in a way and cracked her open in another. Her life would never be the same. Her life within the Galactic Empire was quickly reaching its end.

Becoming Something...Else

As the weeks wore on, Kaleena had an increasingly difficult time reconciling her position within the Empire and her duties as Vicar of Zela with where she felt she personally was. Frustration easily became anger for a woman driven by her emotions. Anger only seemed to add fuel to the ever-hungry inner flame. It seemed to bring her back to life, revitalizing her, while also limiting her. Some people began to take note of the different sort of energy crackling around her and while some attempted to help her keep it quiet, others encouraged her to channel it. While Kaleena trusted both parties, the conflicting advice made her general confusion with life even more troubling. Eventually, a decision needed to be made. She could no longer be pulled in different directions.

Trusting her instincts and feeling empowered to steer her life in a direction that suited her, Kaleena resigned from her position in the Galactic Empire, resigned from the Vicariate of Zela in the Zhellic Ecclesiarchy and set out to forge a new path in life. Destination? Unknown. However, there seemed to be an unseen force guiding her hand. The Zeltron boldly stepped forward.

Huntress

Kaleena Rey, Freelancer

After leaving her posts within the Empire and the Zhellic Ecclesiarchy, Kaleena spent several months traveling the Galaxy, enjoying complete freedom and visiting a few places she had always wanted to visit. Though part of her longed to return home for the sake of some familiarity, her last visit to return the remains of her brother Hiro was extremely awkward and icy as she could not give her family the answers they were looking for. No, Zeltros was no longer home to her. She couldn't return to it and its way of life after all she had seen and experienced. Her destiny lay elsewhere.

Now and then, she would check in with Seth Haze, but for the most part, the Zeltron decided she needed some time to sort things out for herself. Long hyperspace travel gave her ample time to hone her senses, practice her form and even paint a little, but serenity was not an easy thing to come by and restlessness eventually set in.

When she next checked in with her Kaleesh friend and shared with him her frustrations, he offered her a place within the organization he worked for, having left Dark Star Hellions to join Alliance Special Operations. Though she was not all that clear on the organization's mission, she fully trusted Seth, who had not yet led her astray, and decided to work under him, continuing the training they had already begun. In time, he would train her to become a huntress who could hold her own.

Finding herself among a group of vibrant, highly-skilled individuals, she came to see them not only as comrades but as friends, and through the ups and downs of her new life among mercenaries, she deepened her understanding of loyalty. Indeed, loyalties were tested even as those within ASO betrayed the leadership and managed to wrestle away control with the help of outside parties. Despite the eventual collapse of ASO, Kaleena managed to keep a cool head and remained close to Seth and his most trusted allies, following them as they moved on to form Red Moon Horizon. Alas, even that organization was not meant to last and when it too disbanded, the Zeltron was once again, made to move on.

Her most recent experiences have taught her that everything is in a constant state of change. Nothing lasts forever. Friends and allies come and go, enemies are everywhere. A former version of herself might have become completely disheartened and distrustful of life, but under Seth's guidance, she has managed to remain strong and self-reliant.

These days, Kaleena can be found roaming the Galaxy, taking odd jobs now and then to make ends meet. Her life certainly isn't as glorious as it once was, but she keeps those she trusts close by and is much more confident in her ability to not only survive in the big, wide Galaxy, but to thrive...in her own way.

Imperial Service

Time of Service: Year 14 Day 342 - Year 15 Day 117

Imperial Academy

Senior Superintendent Rey

Kaleena enrolled in the Imperial Academy and was assigned a TO to guide her through her studies. She was an attentive student, and despite her natural inclinations to reach out and meet new people, she kept to herself throughout her stay at the Academy so she could focus on her studies.

Coruscant was the first place she had ever visited outside Zeltros and therefore it took a few days to get over the initial shock of being in a completely new environment. The Zeltron recruit was aware that Coruscant itself was home to about a trillion people of all walks of life however it was entirely human-centric and she was suddenly a minority. To say this sudden immersion into a completely different society was jarring to her senses would be an understatement. Zeltrons and humans share common ancestry but there are still fundamental differences between the species, from the physical and emotional characteristics to their value system. The differences were made even more apparent when Kaleena read through the Imperial Species Policy, discovering that she, as a Zeltron, was categorized as a Class B citizen. She was initially put off by this categorization as there wasn’t anything like it back home, however she relaxed to the idea as her class category only prevented her from joining the military and intelligence branches of the Galactic Empire, branches she had absolutely no interest in. Her heightened senses allowed her to pick up on some feelings of aversion and resistance from her peers but she held on to the hope these feelings would not affect her career and her overall integration within the Empire in the long run.

Kaleena graduated from the Imperial Academy on Year 14, Day 342 and requested an assignment within the Regional Government, hoping some of her inherent social skills might translate well into politics. Perhaps the best way to integrate well with the other Imperial citizens was to walk among them and address the needs of the common citizen through politics, and if they were initially repulsed by a Zeltron in their midst, she could make them listen, leading by example. She would show the Empire what this Class B citizen was capable of.

Regional Government Service

Kaleena enjoyed the beginnings of a successful career within RGov, quickly impressing her superiors with her dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism. In a short time, she managed to climb a few ranks and was offered the opportunity to step away from clerical work in order to cultivate some managerial skills. Her responsibilities were varied, but she took to each task with an open mind and saw each as a learning opportunity.

Though her assigned post took her away from the more populated and developed regions of the Empire, the Zeltron managed to maintain a decent social life to balance her work life. While her interests outside of work were nowhere near as vibrant and exciting as her life on Zeltros, she became acquainted with a few interesting Imperials who kept her hope of a good life within the Empire alive.

Resignation

Unfortunately, Kaleena would not even make it to a full year's service before resigning from her post as a Senior Superintendent due to personal reasons. Citing a desire to explore other opportunities, she graceful left Imperial Service with reassurances from her superiors that she would be welcomed back should she ever wish to return. Unbeknownst to them, she was adamant in her heart that she would never return, certain events in her life having swayed her away from the embrace of the Empire.

Senior Superintendent Kaleena Rey resigned on Year 15 Day 117 and has not looked back since.